The preparatory meeting for the 2006 High-level Segment of the
United Nations Economic and Social Council - Final Summary
THE ECOSOC BULLETIN
PUBLISHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT (IISD)
Written and edited by:
Soledad Aguilar
Cecilia Vaverka
Director of IISD Reporting Services:
Langston James "Kimo" Goree VI
Volume 122, Number 1
Saturday, 8 April 2006
Online at: http://www.iisd.ca/crs/hls2006prep/
SUMMARY OF THE PREPARATORY MEETING FOR THE ECOSOC 2006 HIGH-LEVEL
SEGMENT:
4-5 APRIL 2006
The preparatory meeting for the 2006 High-level Segment of the
United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) took place on
4-5 April, at UN headquarters in New York. The meeting focused on
the theme for the High-level Segment, "Creating an environment at
the national and international levels conducive to generating full
and productive employment and decent work for all, and its impact
on sustainable development." Roundtable discussions were held on
growth and employment, an integrated agenda to achieve full
employment and decent work, increasing employment opportunities
and productivity of low income groups in rural and urban areas,
promoting productive employment and decent work for women and
young people, working out of crisis, and the challenge of
globalization. Participants also heard key note addresses on the
role of enterprise development in promoting decent work, social
protection for the working poor, and human rights in the
workplace.
The background notes prepared for all roundtables are available
online at:
http://www.un.org/docs/ecosoc/meetings/2006/hls2006/Issues_notes.pdf
The outcomes of the preparatory meeting will feed into ECOSOC's
High-level Segment, which will take place as part of the
substantive ECOSOC session from 3-28 July, in Geneva.
REPORT OF THE ECOSOC PREPARATORY MEETING
Opening the ECOSOC preparatory meeting on Tuesday, 4 April, ECOSOC
President Ali Hachani (Tunisia) noted that the choice of theme for
the High-level Segment of ECOSOC, on generating full and
productive employment and decent work for all, demonstrates the
international community's commitment to actions in this area. He
highlighted the importance of promoting full employment and decent
work by way of increasing productivity and economic growth, as
well as improving preparedness though training and education.
While underlining that the issue at hand is not just a developing
country problem, Hachani called for solutions beyond conventional
wisdom, bringing all dimensions together, and incorporating the
full employment and decent work into national development
strategies. He urged the roundtables to focus on practical and
workable solutions to feed into the ECOSOC High-level Segment and
contribute to its successful outcome.
To tackle the issue of full and productive employment and decent
work, José Antonio Ocampo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic
and Social Affairs, outlined as key areas: designing domestic
policies and creating a conducive environment at the national
level; ensuring that work opportunities available contribute to
poverty eradication; and making certain that the international
economic environment, especially regarding trade, finance,
investment and technology, supports the goal of full employment
and decent work for all. He said that, according to the
International Labour Organization's (ILO) Global Employment Trend
Brief, nearly 192 million people were unemployed worldwide in
2005, noting that global economic growth has not led to a similar
increase in job creation, and that globalization has widened
income disparities between skilled and unskilled workers. Ocampo
recognized that the challenge of creating conditions for full and
productive employment and decent work rests primarily with
national governments, and advocated more effective mainstreaming
of employment policies into national development and growth
strategies.
ROUNDTABLE 1: GROWTH AND EMPLOYMENT: CREATING A NATIONAL
ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE TO FULL EMPLOYMENT AND DECENT WORK
This roundtable was chaired by ECOSOC Vice-President Hjálmar W.
Hannesson (Iceland) and moderated by José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs,
Executive Director, Employment Sector, ILO.
Panel presentations: Chair Hannesson underlined the key questions
for discussion, including, inter alia: how to ensure a stable
macroeconomic framework that spurs employment and economic growth;
how to reconcile the need for productivity, growth and
competitiveness, with sustained employment growth; and how to
promote entrepreneurship that results in decent work.
Salazar-Xirinachs noted the close link between poverty eradication
and employment creation and the need to effectively operationalize
the decent work agenda. He pointed out that decent work is a
normative concept which involves creation of more employment,
social protection and social dialogue, and expressed concern about
the current decent work deficit.
Helmut Schwarzer, Ministry of Social Affairs, Brazil, highlighted
the challenge of reconciling the objectives of economic growth
with social protection. He said stabilization policies should seek
to reduce vulnerability, and macroeconomic policies should go hand
in hand with the microeconomic agenda, on the basis of ILO's
decent work policy. Schwarzer emphasized that the international
community can encourage social reform by fine-tuning the
administration of existing social policy regimes.
Hernán Sandoval, World Health Organization (WTO) Commission on
Social Determinants of Health, outlined the work of the Commission
that includes gathering best practices for policy makers to
develop fair policies that reduce inequalities, stressing that
social determinants such as employment conditions, early life
development and social exclusion affect health. Observing the huge
disparities in health worldwide, he highlighted the need to take a
new approach, as sufficient results have not been achieved in
relation to present expenditure.
Milivoje Panic, University of Cambridge, recognized that economic
growth and employment are means to achieve important social ends,
not ends in themselves. Noting the importance of pragmatic
approaches, he suggested considering best practices from other
countries. To achieve full employment, Panic underscored that
macroeconomic policies should not focus solely on maintaining a
low inflation rate. He said globalization is making economic
prosperity and socio-political stability a shared responsibility,
as well as a great challenge, for the international community.
Mentioning that employment creation requires strong and
sustainable economic growth, Robert Holzmann, World Bank, favored
a multi-sector approach, including: sound macroeconomic policy;
good investment climate; appropriate labor market institutions;
good education and market-relevant skills; and social safety nets.
To tackle poverty reduction, Peter Fallon, International Monetary
Fund (IMF), emphasized the need to improve labor market outcomes,
and outlined elements laying the basis for sustained economic
growth, including: maintaining a stable macroeconomic environment;
strengthening the private sector by means of simplifying the
regulatory system and securing property rights; accelerating human
capital formation through better provision of health and education
services; and improving good governance in developing countries.
Fallon also recommended an increase in aid volumes and better
aligning aid with country needs.
Peter Bakvis, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
(ICFTU), suggested including employment policies in national
development strategies and encouraged a discussion on the trade-
offs between inflation and full employment. He outlined the
conditions for a well-functioning labor market, calling for an
appropriate level of regulations.
Irfan ul Haque, Consultant to South Centre, commenting on previous
presentations, stressed the need to change the mindset guiding
macroeconomic policy and pay more attention to employment. He
noted that ineffective demand and lack of capital and skills are
detrimental to full employment, and maintained that the
relationship between inflation and employment is very tenuous. Ul
Haque also questioned Panic's assertion that flexible labor
markets lead to lower unemployment levels.
Discussion: The Republic of Korea advocated an environment
conducive to employment generation that will contribute to the
attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and shared
Ocampo's view that globalization is creating labor market
imbalances. He proposed formulating comprehensive, as well as
tailor-made policies, underscoring that the Washington Consensus
is not a panacea.
Nigeria emphasized the need to include ethical values when
addressing decent work and asked for more information on the
relationship between inflation and employment.
Italy questioned why decent work elements are not being included
in Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs). Holzmann highlighted
that PRSPs are country-driven and noted that the decent work
agenda may not be a priority to countries suffering from other
life-threatening constraints. Bakvis, on the other hand,
underlined that PRSPs are presented to the World Bank and the IMF,
which may not have manifest agendas on decent work and proposed
compiling examples of links between poverty reduction and workers'
rights.
Mauritania asked whether the size of the informal sector in
developing countries affects the development of employment. Fallon
replied that the informal sector may play a large role in job
creation. However, he noted, it generally plays a much smaller
role in economic growth as jobs in the informal sector tend to
have low productivity rates.
In response to a question by Brazil on why education and health
costs are considered expenditures and not investments, Sandoval
and the European Commission said that public health expenditures
that save lives should be regarded as investments, although many
national accounting systems do not allow such distinction.
Guinea inquired about specific recommendations to foster growth
and development, while consolidating peace and recreating
employment, in post-conflict situations. Schwarzer highlighted
that there are no ready-made receipts for employment generation,
but rather an accumulation of best practices and experiences on
the benefits, limits and constraints of policy instruments. He
said solutions have to be constructed according to national needs,
and proposed compiling countries' experiences on implementing
decent work strategies.
Cuba said orthodox formulas do not work and may be contradictory
as they propose to reduce government spending as a whole while
increasing public spending in health and education. Ul Haque
reflected that it is crucial to allow countries to experiment with
different approaches according to their own conditions, with Panic
noting that economic policies have to be judged by their results
on social indicators, and thus policies that increase poverty
levels should not be recommended to others. He underlined that
different countries achieve development through different
approaches and there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Salazar-Xirinachs presented a graph with basic concepts, key
policy areas, objectives and outcomes to effectively apply
employment strategies. Chair Hannesson adjourned the meeting.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS ON THE ROLE OF ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT IN PROMOTING
DECENT WORK
Jacqueline Coke-Lloyd, Executive Director, Jamaica Employers
Federation, noted that the absence of financing, inflexible labor
market policies, absence of a business culture, and lack of access
to appropriate technology serve as obstacles to the establishment
of new enterprises in developing countries, and underlined the
importance of understanding how to identify and take advantage of
business opportunities. On promoting decent work, she favored
investing in local skills by creating an enabling environment for
entrepreneurs and small enterprises, and she called for a debate
on the suitability of a universal standard of decent work.
ROUNDTABLE 2: AN INTEGRATED GLOBAL AGENDA TO ACHIEVE FULL AND
PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYMENT AND DECENT WORK
This roundtable was chaired by ECOSOC President Hachani, and
moderated by Sergio M. Miranda-da-Cruz, Director, United Nations
Industrial Development Organization.
Panel presentations: Chair Hachani introduced the panel
highlighting that globalization must benefit everyone while
promoting transparency, democracy and accountability. He proposed
examining the ways to correct asymmetries that marginalize
developing countries, and how globalization can contribute in the
fight against poverty.
Miranda-da-Cruz noted the need for an integrated and coherent
agenda for international trade, finance, global macroeconomic
policies and employment.
Heiner Flassbeck, United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD), considered the meaning of "sound
macroeconomic policy" and of "flexible labor markets", noting
different conceptual approaches to these issues. He pointed out
that measures to gain competitiveness and those affecting labor
market structures have international repercussions, arguing that
countries should allow real wages to rise with productivity.
Kamal Malhotra, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said
the outcomes of the 2005 UN World Summit reflect the intent to
deal with aid, debt and trade in an integral manner. He observed
the lack of progress on development issues within the WTO Doha
Round, and highlighted that an aid package cannot substitute
making progress in Doha's development agenda. He also said more
needs to be done to reduce debt relief transaction costs, and
urged donors to fulfill their aid commitments.
Nilufer Cagatay, University of Utah, focused on the gender
perspective of full employment and decent work, stressing that
inequalities in the distribution of income and assets may dampen
effective demand and growth rates. To promote decent work, she
proposed policy interventions at the international level,
including: creating a global social trust; promoting employment
creation with gender awareness; civil regulations to enforce
global codes of conduct; and implementation of pro-poor fiscal
policies.
To accomplish greater equity and make progress on the achievement
of decent work, Jo Mary Griesgraber, New Rules for Global Finance
Coalition, recommended: reforming the governance structure of
international financial bodies, such as the IMF and the World
Bank; creating a mechanism for dealing with the bankruptcy of
sovereign debtors; increased transparency and inclusiveness
regarding taxes; and better research on the impact of
macroeconomic policies on different sectors of the labor market,
especially on the poor.
Ronnie Goldberg, United States Council for International Business,
commented on the earlier interventions, calling for greater
involvement of business in the discussions leading up to the
ECOSOC High-level Segment, underlining the importance of business
creation, and also suggested that the Monterrey Consensus inform
ECOSOC's work. She noted that national policies, action and
implementation were crucial.
She said that the wage gap is not the only factor driving Foreign
Direct Investment (FDI), with Flassbeck replying that wages are
the largest factor determining the relation between employment and
growth and highlighting that measures at the national level have
international repercussions.
On the Doha Round, Goldberg said it was a mistake to under-
emphasize the role of trade facilitation, while Malhotra responded
saying that aid is needed to ensure that international trade rules
work for least developed countries.
On the gender dimension of employment, Goldberg questioned whether
it was possible to formulate practical policies when the problem
varies among different countries, with Cagatay noting the benefits
of analyzing fiscal and macroeconomic policies from a gender
perspective, to ensure that they benefit the poor.
Discussion: Nigeria noted that most FDI in Africa is directed to
extractive industries and questioned how to target it towards
other sectors. Flassbeck replied that FDI tends to follow higher
revenues and good investment climates, noting also that pro-growth
policies and stable macroeconomic conditions in countries like
China have attracted FDI. Malhotra added that countries can
promote these conditions by means of skilled labor and strong
infrastructure. Goldberg noted the importance of removing
obstacles to "doing business" and said that according to the World
Bank's "Doing Business Report," opening a business in developing
countries requires more effort and entails larger costs than in
developed countries.
Italy inquired on how to ensure actual improvements on the ground.
Flassbeck commented that studies done in the past year have
allowed a more efficient use of investment flows, with Malhotra
stressing the responsibility of donors in building coherence
amongst mechanisms, using multilateral systems rather than
bilateral ones, and considering countries' capacity to absorb
financial flows. Griesgraber highlighted the importance of
analyzing the effects of trade policies on developing countries.
The Netherlands asked how international institutions, and ECOSOC
in particular, can promote respect for decent work standards.
Griesgraber highlighted that ECOSOC can foster coherence of values
amongst different organizations. The UK cautioned that
international organizations should not exceed their mandate.
Miranda-da-Cruz highlighted the importance of enabling
environments to foster innovative investments that promote
employment.
Chair Hachani adjourned the meeting stating the firm intention of
ECOSOC to maintain permanent contact with all institutions
involved in these issues.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS ON SOCIAL PROTECTION FOR THE WORKING POOR
Arjun Sengupta, Chairman of the Centre for Development and Human
Rights, New Delhi, stressed that the international community
already has committed to the removal of poverty, and called for
promptly addressing the chronic deprivation problem of the poor.
He maintained that poverty would not exist if the economic, social
and cultural rights of the poor were fulfilled, noting that
delivering the basic rights of the extremely poor should be
prioritized. He also suggested the establishment of a financing
facility based on burden-sharing according to per capita income,
to assist social protection programmes in developing countries.
ROUNDTABLE 3: INCREASING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND PRODUCTIVITY
OF LOW INCOME GROUPS IN RURAL AND URBAN AREAS
This roundtable was chaired by ECOSOC Vice-President Léo Mérorés
(Haiti) and moderated by Azita Berar-Awad, Director, Policy
Integration Department, ILO.
Panel presentations: While poverty rates have been cut
considerably during the last decades, Chair Mérorés noted that it
has not resulted in improved opportunities for low income groups,
which still suffer from spiraling poverty. He encouraged the
participants to focus on how to maximize the employment potential
of the informal economy in rural and urban areas, and debate how
to best integrate such policies in the national PRSPs.
Berar-Awad underlined that the working poor have insufficient
income to move out of poverty. Noting that four out of five jobs
were created in the informal economy in the past years, she
emphasized that the informal economy is no longer a marginal
phenomenon but the mainstream of development and labor force in
developing countries. She mentioned groups belonging to the
informal sector including, inter alia, microentrepreneurs, home-
based workers and migrant workers. She maintained that access to
decent work and ensuing entitlements is dependent on policy
reform.
David Kaimowitz, Center for International Forestry Research,
recognized the numerous opportunities relating to forest-based
activities, noting that the issue at stake is to address how such
activities can generate more and better jobs. As possible
measures, he recommended: promoting forest tenure reform;
redirecting government subsidies; encouraging micro-enterprise
projects to support forest-based activities; cooperating closely
with grass-root forestry organizations; and fully reflecting these
measures in national PRSPs.
Leiria Vay García, Association of Farmers Development Committees,
stated that economic growth in Latin America has not resulted in
more stable and decent work. While investments are directed
towards urban populations, she said rural communities are
marginalized. She underlined that States have to redistribute
resources to promote employment and that the absence of property
rights hinders the achievement of decent work.
Gemma Adaba, ICFTU, said the decent work agenda has not been
properly reflected in national PRSPs and stressed that the key to
promoting decent work is to prioritize employment-intensive
approaches. To overcome constraints to poverty reduction and
employment creation, she recommended integrating employment
policies into existing development frameworks and incorporating
decent work into the MDGs. She also highlighted that small and
medium-sized enterprises have a large role in employment creation.
Martha Chen, Harvard University, spoke on the urban informal
economy. She outlined recent trends increasing urbanization and
informalization, noting that the urban informal workforce raises
concerns regarding uncertain legal status, shortage of assets and
skills, and lack of market access. She also underlined the need to
deal with frameworks for legalizing private property and the
provision of infrastructure and services.
On small and medium-sized enterprises, Coke-Lloyd stressed the
importance of: fostering entrepreneurial skills and supporting
innovations; empowering the underemployed; reviewing the education
system; addressing market constraints and opportunities; and
seeking to formalize the informal economy.
Discussion: The International Association of Economic and Social
Councils mentioned the risk of exclusion from the workforce,
stressing the importance of ongoing education and training.
Nigeria, with Benin, requested a definition of the informal
economy, with Cheng responding that ILO plays a leading role in
defining the informal economy, and that the recently expanded
definition includes informal enterprises and its workers, and
informal work holders. She stressed that many people operate
illegally due to the absence of a legal framework or as a result
of necessity or tradition. Berar-Awad also emphasized that many
people in the informal economy lack legal recognition.
Responding to Belgium's question on the possible creation of a
ninth MDG on decent work, Adaba recommended integrating targets
from the decent work agenda into existing MDGs.
Sudan suggested focusing on decent rural work, and, with China,
noted employment problems derived from urbanization. Cheng
highlighted the concept of reverse migration to rural areas and
mentioned the scope for developing new smaller towns and
clustering industries. China underlined her country's efforts to
improve the livelihood of its low-income workers.
The Democratic Republic of Congo expressed concerns over forest
conservation in countries facing armed conflict, and Kaimowitz
replied that peace is a fundamental condition for providing good
livelihoods.
Berar-Awad concluded the discussion, recognizing areas that need
to be further addressed, including low-income producers' access to
social protection, and the scaling-up of PRSPs. She stressed the
importance of such strategies as they bring a participatory and
consultative approach and result in level-playing-field measures.
To create an enabling environment for the formalization of the
informal economy, she recommended a coherent set of policies at
all levels, legal recognition and access to land and property.
Chair Mérorés adjourned the meeting.
ROUNDTABLE 4: WORKING OUT OF CRISES
This roundtable was chaired by ECOSOC Vice-President Dalius
Cìkuolis (Lithuania) and moderated by Ambassador Augustine Mahiga
(Tanzania).
Panel presentations: Chair Cìkuolis highlighted ECOSOC's focus on
the transition from humanitarian relief to development, and its
engagement in long term development strategies for post-conflict
countries. Mahiga highlighted the importance of: incorporating
employment in recovery processes to recreate livelihoods;
cooperation and coherence in aid agencies' approaches; addressing
labor markets from the supply and demand sides; rehabilitating
local trade networks and the private sector; inclusiveness; and
ensuring reasonable speed for resource mobilization.
Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, Special Representative for West Africa,
highlighted youth unemployment and its links with the perpetuation
of conflict, noting that armies tend to recruit jobless youth and
supporting a proposal to create a youth employment unit for West
Africa.
Eric Schwartz, Deputy Special Envoy for Tsunami, identified
lessons learnt including: the importance of an enabling
environment for economic recovery; the idea of "building-back
better," a recovery that fosters inclusiveness and accountability;
the need for donor support to build local capacities; the need to
improve government's capacity to support economic revitalization;
the need for flexibility in the provision of funding to allow
broad and sustainable recovery responses; and the importance of
international coordination in the response efforts.
John Ohiorhenuan, UNDP Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery,
noted the importance of employment generation within post crisis
recovery efforts to reduce conflict potential and create new
development trajectories. He mentioned the difficulty of
generating employment when assets are destroyed and people are
displaced and highlighted the need to incorporate employment in
recovery planning from the start, targeting both ex-combatants and
civil society, and to rebuild skills and reduce aid dependency. He
also emphasized the need to recognize the informal economy's role
in providing employment in post conflict situations.
Miguel Bermeo, Sri Lanka Resident Coordinator, identified lessons
learnt in Sri Lanka's peace process, highlighting: the importance
of integrated responses and synergies among agencies; the need to
use and support local capacities; and the constraints faced by the
absence of key infrastructure like roads and ports.
Christopher Lamb, International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies, commented on the previous interventions noting
the importance of: the relationship between relief and
development; incorporating livelihood rebuilding in relief
efforts; the role of the private sector as provider of employment
and source of resilience; and of providing integrated responses to
disasters.
Discussion: Nigeria noted the importance of addressing pre-
conflict situations and of ensuring that employment generation is
inclusive. Lamb added the need to provide livelihood alternatives
to populations affected by violent conflicts. Guinea Bissau
highlighted that post conflict countries in West Africa face the
consequences of the collapse of State and social networks,
including the creation of marginalized social groups and youth
unemployment, which makes people vulnerable to being recruited and
engaged in armed conflict. United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees emphasized the importance of targeting displaced persons
in recovery efforts and addressing equity amongst different
groups. The UK supported Ould-Abdallah's recommendation to create
of a youth employment unit for West Africa. The Office of the
Special Advisor for Africa said an expert group meeting will be
convened to create a publication on youth unemployment in Africa.
Syria noted the need to consider employment and poverty issues in
occupied territories.
Germany supported examining the role of the private sector in
pre-conflict and post conflict recovery and Sudan urged addressing
the root causes of poverty within the decent work debate.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE WORKPLACE
Sharan Burrow, President of the International Confederation of
Free Trade Unions, cautioned that current global labor trends are
going against decent work policy objectives. She called for a
global partnership between developed and developing countries to
end unemployment, underemployment, poverty and inequality. Noting
challenges posed by underemployment coexisting with labor
shortages, and by the relocation of companies to countries with
low wages, Burrow underscored the importance of freedom of
association and minimum wages. She also highlighted that the
International Finance Corporation has decided to include core
labor standards in loan conditionality, and said the IMF should
revisit its recommendations on labor reform.
ROUNDTABLE 5: PROMOTING FULL AND PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYMENT AND DECENT
WORK FOR WOMEN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
This roundtable was chaired by Ambassador Johan Verbeke (Belgium)
and moderated by Marie Simonen, Deputy Executive Director, UN
Population Fund.
Panel presentations: Chair Verbeke noted problems faced by women
and young people in accessing the labor market. Simonen said that
the 2005 UN World Summit made the goals of full and productive
employment a central objective of PRSPs and stressed that socio
cultural attitudes underlie persistent gaps between men and women
in the labor market, underscoring the need to empower women.
Martha Chen, Harvard University, identified trends towards
feminization and informalization of the labor force, and noted
their links to poverty. She said most women face underemployment
(not enough work or income) or overwork (long working hours
without overtime compensation), and called for policies that are
gender aware and gender balanced, as well as targeted
interventions to provide support for women in the informal
workforce.
Antonious Budi Tjahjono, Youth Employment Network, underscored the
importance of work for young people's dignity and independence,
and highlighted participation by youth employment networks in
policy making in developing countries.
Robert Holzmann, World Bank, said access to work opportunities is
crucial and highlighted the need to improve education systems to
provide young people with basic skills needed for entering the
workforce. He also mentioned the need to provide child care and
flexible hours to prevent women's unemployment or underemployment.
Barbara Byers, Executive Vice-President, Canadian Labour Congress,
commented on the presentations, highlighting the importance of
decent work for poverty eradication and to combat the feminization
of poverty. She noted the importance of promoting full time jobs
with work-life balance and targeted approaches for women and
youth.
Discussion: Belgium said that the involvement of labor unions in
the preparation of PRSPs was a step in the right direction. Italy
asked whether there were successful examples of youth
participation in policy making and Germany called for best
practice examples. Budi Tjahjono outlined participation by youth
in policy making, provided examples of success, and said increased
youth participation may prevent youth unrest. Chen proposed
compiling best practice cases.
The International Association of Economic and Social Councils
noted female workers are the first to become unemployed in crises
and highlighted the recent problems faced by French young people
regarding labor reform. Holzmann reflected on the existence of a
two tiered society where the older generation is well protected
and the younger generation is employed in precarious conditions,
with Chen indicating that nowadays the relative power of labor vs.
capital is so low that we risk losing "hard won" labor rights.
Following a question, Byers noted the tendency for older women to
live in poverty, with Holzmann emphasizing the need to reassess
retirement age and pension systems in many countries.
Simonen closed the panel, highlighting the values of dignity,
voice and participation.
ROUNDTABLE 6: THE CHALLENGE OF GLOBALIZATION - LABOR MIGRATION
This roundtable was chaired by ECOSOC Vice-President Prasad
Kariyawasam (Sri Lanka) and moderated by Ibrahim Awad, Director of
ILO's International Migration Programme.
Panel presentations: Chair Kariyawasam said that globalization has
critical implications for labor migration, stressing the
importance to create a win-win situation for all concerned. While
labor migration serves as an engine for growth in receiving
countries and generates remittance flows to countries of origin,
he highlighted that loss of human capital is a cause for concern
in developing countries. He also noted the need to establish a
multilateral cooperative framework for labor migration, taking
into account the linkages of labor migration with development.
Awad noted that globalization has facilitated the interaction of
markets, but failed to create jobs. He outlined: the linkage
between labor migration and development; the need to reduce
irregular migration; the absence of social protection of migrant
workers; and the role of the international community in maximizing
the benefits of labor migration. He also highlighted the
importance of multilateral regional cooperation and the
contribution of the UN system in capacity-building.
On maximizing the win-win potential for temporary labor migration,
Dirk Bruinsma, UNCTAD, underscored the value of the WTO General
Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) commitments, noting that
these can help realizing benefits in both sending and receiving
countries. While many receiving countries fear pressure on the
domestic labor market, he maintained that opening borders for
temporary labor migration may render great benefits.
Marcello Balbo, University of Venice, said the North-South
dimension was no longer a predominant feature of international
migration, but rather emphasized the country dimension and the
effect of labor migration on the urban economy. He noted the more
temporary the migration, the more challenges in terms of urban
social inclusion, and said migrant workers should not just be seen
as important economic engines, but as social actors with general
rights.
Sharan Burrow, ICFTU, outlined ILO guidelines on a rights-based
approach to labor migration, noting that the main opponents were
the beneficiaries of migration, and questioned why the most
progressive countries fear international migration. She also
highlighted the reluctance to recognize the rights of irregular
migrant workers and outlined the threats to temporary migrant
workers. On remittances, she underlined that high charges on money
transfers deny developing countries a chance to maximize the
benefits of labor migration.
Atif Kubursi, McMaster University, said that labor movements are
mired in a web of regulations, limiting their bargaining position.
In his view migration is a result of disequilibrium in the labor
market, and stressed that trade liberalization would end the need
to migrate. Without denying the importance of remittances to
developing countries, he also highlighted the loss of human
capital caused by labor migration.
Irena Omelaniuk, Migration Adviser, World Bank, commented on the
previous interventions, noting that the GATS arrangement can
assist in attaining the benefits of migration. She indicated the
need to influence governments' capacity to steer labor migration
and match demand and supply. Noting that trafficking of migrant
workers make countries reluctant to receive them, she said that
multilateral frameworks are key to their protection.
Discussion: The UK reiterated its commitments to managing
international migration, noting the merits of the non-binding ILO
guidelines on labor migration.
Canada expressed concern about the language used when addressing
international labor migration, and suggested framing the approach
differently to achieve new results.
Indonesia underscored that migration contributes to capacity loss
and brain drain in developing countries.
On fighting trafficking, Belarus outlined the establishment of a
new Inter Agency taskforce to unite the efforts of all parties,
lay the foundation for a UN strategy, and assist member states in
implementing appropriate measures.
The International Organization for Migration said that a
meaningful discussion on full employment and decent work needs to
incorporate international migration, noting that increased
globalization of labor markets makes developing human capital at
the local level a critical issue. He also called for new
partnerships focusing on the rights of workers and ensuring the
portability of pension schemes.
Awad briefly summed up the roundtable discussion and Chair
Kariyawasam adjourned the meeting.
CLOSURE OF THE PREPARATORY MEETING
In his closing remarks, ECOSOC President Hachani thanked
participants for their presentations and fruitful discussions,
which will be forwarded to the ECOSOC High-level Segment to be
held in Geneva on 3-28 July 2006. He highlighted the value of
productivity and enabling climates for investment and enterprise
in economic growth. He also underscored the importance of:
targeting policies to young people, women and migrant workers;
improving working conditions in the informal and agricultural
sectors; incorporating employment components in post-conflict
relief strategies, and in disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration processes; and promoting coherence at the policy
level, including on trade, employment and technology policies.
Finally, Hachani said ECOSOC welcomes the input from international
organizations, non-governmental organizations, civil society and
the private sector, and he gaveled the meeting to a close on
Wednesday, 5 April at 6:14 pm.
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